A Mabudachi Story
by Ayame Kazeai
Summary: Hatori was a lonely, lonely boy... until the day that he met his own Cinderella. But how will this love story unfold? Will he find his perfect match, or will he be left with nothing but a memory and a glass slipper? [Spoiler Alert; Harsh Language]
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, it's characters, or "A Cinderella Story". This fanfic was inspired by "A Cinderella Story"! Please read and review. New chapters soon to come!

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_**A Mabudachi Story:**_

_**Chapter One**_

By Ayame Kazeai

Every family has it's secrets. Some have a felon for a cousin. Some a father that ran off with his girlfriend. Others may have it's young mother, it's alcoholic son, or it's baby with seven toes. This particular family, however, had a much deeper, darker secret- a certain thirteen members would transform suddenly into the thirteen animals of the Chinese zodiac if hugged by a non-related member of the opposite sex. As one could imagine, such a condition could be quite difficult. Accidents were sure to happen. A girl in love might fling herself into the arms of her boyfriend, or a man may find himself being tempted by the pleasures of the skin. And this situation was made all the more difficult by certain circumstances such as, say, puberty.

Hatori Sohma was, by far, no exclusion to the fact. At the ripe age of 16 years, he found himself watching the couples at his school longingly and wishing that he could have it too. Unlike his cousins and best friends Ayame and Shigure, who spent most of their time together, Hatori found it hard to satisfy himself in the ways he needed satisfied with the other members of the zodiac. This was due to the fact that he wasn't A) gay or B) desperate enough to mess with the girls of the zodiac, who were all well below the age of ten. It was quite the dilemma. But, even if he did have a way to get involved with a female, he probably wouldn't have the time to devote to her. Between studying, tending to his father, and learning the ways of the Sohma family, he hardly had the time to wave hello to a friend, better yet take a female out on a date. Which is quite possibly why he had Ayame and Shigure.

♥

"Oh Haaaaa-chan!!!" a voice chirped from the hallway.

The raven haired boy quickly moved his gaze and concentration from the book on his desk and placed it on the doorway in front of him. "Yes?" he called out in return as he slowly rose to his feet. Moments later, in a flash of light, hair, and giddiness he found himself wrapped in the arms of a short boy with pale skin, dazzling golden eyes, and hair as pale as the moon in the night sky. A smile spread across the young snake's face as he nuzzled his nose into Hatori's cheek. Before Hatori had time to shove Ayame away, another boy strode into the room and stopped in a show of false surprise.

"Oh Ayame!! I leave you for five seconds to find you in the arms of another man?" the dog cried out melodramatically. A hand flew up to clasp his heart as his eyes turned to stare longingly out the window. "I thought we had a love that was strong!"

"Shigure!" the snake cooed out in return. "I would never leave you for another. It's just that Hatori was sitting here, looking so lonely and in need of love that I couldn't help myself!!" As he responded in his equally dramatic way, ivory arms abandoned their grip on Hatori and made their way to Shigure. Just a moment later, Shigure and Ayame were clasping one another and promising each other that they would never hurt each other again while Hatori looked off and shook his head. "Idiots."

Along with their zodiac based curse, the members of the Sohma family carried another flaw- each and every cursed member was hopelessly gorgeous. As you can imagine, this was just another bothersome condition. Hatori was your typical tall, dark, and handsome. His hair was of the finest ebony, eyes shone in the most startling shade of olive, and his body was that of perfection- strong, broad shoulders tapering down to a small waist. Shigure was much of the same, except that his features were more charming than handsome, and his eyes were a deep, puppy-dog brown color. However Ayame, on the other hand, had a much more effeminate appearance. He wore his silver hair much longer than one would think he could get away with, and had a beautiful face made all the more dramatic by his bright, sparkling copper eyes. While his two companions could be described as "drop dead handsome", Ayame reveled in the description of "the most beautiful boy that ever there was". The three had been best of friends since infancy, and even though they didn't have much in common, they enjoyed each other's company just the same.

Once the two finished their cuddling, attention was immediately returned to Hatori. "Tori-chan", Ayame started as he plopped down onto Hatori's desk, crossed his long, lithe legs, and casually flipped through the pages of a nearby book, "You've been _different_ lately. I couldn't help but notice, considering my kind, careful, ever watchful nature." As he spoke, his eyes slowly made their way from the book beside him to Hatori, watching him with an air of mystery floating about him.

"I don't understand your question, Aya-chan." came his cool reply.

"Well, you use to be more care-free and fun. And by care-free and fun, I mean as care-free and fun as someone completely without the ability to be care-free and/or fun. And now you're just drab and moody." Ayame replied with a bit of disappointment on his face. Hatori had never quite been the lively one, but there was definitely something wrong with him.

"I have to agree." Shigure added. "You have been holed up in your room constantly lately. And when we see you at school, you float by as if we aren't there. It's as if you have too much on your mind to realize that we are there!"

"Maybe it's that I actually have things on my mind, and a mind to have things on. Which I know is hard for you to understand or comprehend." he shot back.

Both boys gasped and looked aback. Did he just…insult them? "Tori-chan!" Ayame cried, "That was unbelievably cruel and uncalled for!"

Hatori sighed and slumped down to sit on the chair at his desk. "I know, and I apologize. Things are just…stressing."

"What is stressing? Nothing is stressing for us!" the two boys replied simultaneously.

"I know, and that is half the battle…" he replied. Instead of being insulted, which would be the expected reaction, Shigure and Ayame beamed at each other happily, causing a great sigh to come from Hatori once again.

"Well, is there anything we can help you with?" Ayame cooed in return.

"Yes. Find a girlfriend for me who will not transform at my touch?"

"Mmm, that could be arranged."

"..without her being messed up and troublesome like Ritsu, dry and bitchy like Kagura, sickly, weak and horrid like Akito, or way too young to even look at like Rin and Kisa, please."

And for a moment, a look of devastation passed over the faces of both Ayame and Shigure.

"The fact that you would even think about that proves to me that you are both twisted and sick idiots." Hatori added coldly as he looked at them in disgust. Sometimes those two were just too much…

"Ah! I have a better idea!!" Ayame suddenly chimed in as a finger went up in the air. His face lit up like a firecracker on the forth of July. He quickly turned to point a lacquered fingertip at the monitor sitting on Hatori's desk and smiled as he added "You can find anything you need…"

"…via the internet" Shigure cut in.

end of chapter one


	2. Chapter Two

_**A Mabudachi Story:**_

_**Chapter Two**_

By Ayame Kazeai

Hatori stared at the two boys in a mix of disbelief and shock.

"No. No no. My internet connection is for research purposes _only_, Ayame."

"EXACTLY! Research into the hearts of women! Finding and seeking your one true love! This is not some child's play… this is the rest of your life, Tori-chan, and you must embrace it! This would be the research that will forever change your life! RESEARCH!" he exclaimed excitedly, golden eyes sparkling in a dangerous light.

"No." he replied with a stern head shake. "You know what I mean."

"Why not? It can't hurt to look." Shigure chimed in as he hopped over the desk to sit next to Ayame.

"Yes. Yes it can. People on the internet are _crazy_." he responded, with the slightest touch of worry in his voice.

Ayame quickly shook his head, put on a defensive face, and replied "But _we're_ on the internet, Tori-chan!" Shigure nodded franticly in agreement.

"…my point exactly."

"Please?" Shigure whined as he brought his hands up to his chest in a pleading manner.

"No."

"It'll be fun!"

"I doubt that."

"You won't know till you try!"

"No."

"Yes?"

"NO."

"Oh, come on now!" Shigure exclaimed as he threw his hands up in defeat.

"No, I am not going to get onto the internet to find some imaginary girlfriend, have cyber-romance with her, fall in fake love, and late discover that 'she' is really a he, and that he is a 40 year old convicted felon serving life in Australia." Hatori replied stoically as he picked up the book next to Ayame and started to flip through it himself. "Not happening. Case closed. Go home."

"Fine…" Ayame said with a sigh, finally accepting defeat. The two boys waved goodbye and drug themselves out of the room, sulking.

Hatori let his mind linger on the suggestion for a moment before shaking his head and going back to his homework. "Let's see.. BCIS.." he said to himself, and picked up the folder off of his desk. Lazily, he thumbed through the papers in the folder. "Ah, here it is…" he mumbled out loud and slipped the crisp paper out of it's holder. As his eyes glanced over the title of the page, his brow immediately raised in interest.

"INTERNET BUSINESS:

Studies into the effective use of

The internet and your business."

Hatori's gaze then shifted over slightly to focus on the screen in front of him. It was almost like an open invitation. "No, I will not." he told himself, and set the paper back into the folder, and the folder back onto his desk. The next folder on his stack was one for calculus. "Much safer.." he thought as he slipped the assignment out.

"RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT:

List 10 online resources to better your

College level calculus preparations."

Hatori instantly tossed the folder and assignment back onto his desk in one graceful move, and picked up the next one. His brow began to ruffle in frustration, leading him to throw down the next folder as well once it was discovered that he needed to research the names and stats of all of the members of the Japanese Olympics team…via the web. A hand few up to run through his raven locks in frustration while the other one pointed a finger dangerously at the picture of Ayame and Shigure by his monitor. "You're mocking me." he mumbled in frustration.

In all actuality, Ayame's suggestion was enticing. A cyber love would be his one way to be "involved" with someone without the threat of hugging. On top of that, he would have the opportunity to get to know someone mentally and ensure that they were completely compatible, and…"Ugh! Why am I even _thinking_ about this?"

But it -was- a good idea. Shigure and Ayame seemed to always be gabbing it up about the "hot chick they bothered last night" or "the group of girls that fell for them last night and got soooooo mad when they jokingly said that they were gay". It seemed like a lot of…fun. Fun? Suddenly Hatori picture Ayame sitting on his desk, saying "…I mean as carefree and fun as someone completely without the ability to be carefree and/or fun…" Thoughtfully, he reached over to press his index and middle fingers against the picture frame for a moment, then pushed it backwards.. Causing it to topple over. "Idiots."

♥

Hatori tucked the last of his assignments back into their proper folders, and set them all back in his bag. He had finally finished his assignments for the evening. A lazy eye was cast towards the clock- it was only 9 pm, and he was already out of it. But, like an evil glowing beacon, the hazy computer screen called to him. It had somehow found it's way to TalkJapan Chat Sector. Hatori rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and leaned forward to give the site a good once-over.

"Hn…chat rooms…'Happy Couples over 30'… 'Swinging Singles'…I'm not particularly one to 'swing'… 'BignBeautifulnHawt4U', egads! Hmm…'High Prospects'…I don't even want to know." Hatori shook his head. This was starting to seem like the bad idea that he knew it would be. As he moved the mouse up to close the window out, something caught his eye. "TokyoUniHopeful: For those who actually have an IQ" Once his eyes locked onto the topic, the temptation was there full throttle. It had been a long time since the last he spoke with people who could intellectually level with him. Shigure and Ayame were far from dumb, but they were too busy being up to their own crazy antics to stop and think. The idea of the chat room was extremely attractive. He stood up. "No, I can't do it. I've seen documentaries upon documentaries advocating against the introduction of the 'chat world' into one's life." But there must be some reason why people become addicts, some sort of…psychological phenomenon. This wouldn't be diving into the proverbial shark tank- this would be _research._

♥

Hatori rushed home from school. It had been merely twelve days since his "research" began, and he was starting to get into it. But it would figure that the second he sat down at the computer, Shigure and Ayame collapsed against the door frame, panting and gasping for air.

"Ha…ha…Hatori…w-why…are you so…in a rush…?" Shigure said between gasps for air.

Ayame just let out a simple "Meeeehh!" as his delicate features warped into a look of pure distraught.

"Wuh…we…we were trying…to keep up…with you…wanted to go…to the mall…and…look for cute…girls." Shigure continued.

"Shigure, Ayame, I have work to do." Hatori replied coolly, not even raising his eyes to look at them as he got comfortable at his desk.

An exasperated sigh escaped Ayame's lips. "Work? But…you've always given us some time after school and…and waited to do homework till we got done." he exclaimed with a genuinely hurt expression on his face.

"Guys, seriously. I have something that I'd like to get done." Hatori replied. He had already started to log onto all of his programs and such, and was obviously not giving in. But apparently Ayame and Shigure felt the same way. He could see their determination…but what he didn't see was Ayame walking over to him, obviously in attempt to corner his friend, whine, and beg until he gave in. But what Ayame accidentally saw caught him off-guard.

"AHHH!" Ayame cried out as a finger flew out to point at the computer screen. "Ah, AHH!"

Hatori swung around to look at Ayame, then followed his point right back to his computer screen. TalkJapan Chat Sector login window was on proud display…and Ayame wasn't really suppose to see that. He apparently didn't want to see it either, judging by the look of pure horror on the snake's face at catching his friend in the attempt to deceive. But before Hatori could even think to cover for what he had done, Shigure flew to Ayame's side and saw it all as well. "You've been CHATTING, you whore!" said Shigure with a voice laced in amusement.

"Yes. Yes I have. And if you call me a 'whore' again, I will tell the entire student council that you wet your bed until you were five." Hatori retorted coldly…which was enough to send the dog retreating behind Ayame.

"Awww, Gure-chan…it's okay! Aaya loves you!" Ayame cooed in an almost comforting way as he hugged the distraught dog close to his chest.

Hatori rolled his eyes and turned back to his computer. "If you two don't mind…" he began, in a way that showed that they really didn't have the choice that his words indicated that they did, "…there are some things that I'd like to take care of."

"And by 'things', he means 'online flirting', and by 'take care of' he means 'get my groove on with'." Shigure loudly whispered to Ayame in the most sarcastic manner possible. He 'explained' the situation to Ayame as one would do to a child, while Ayame nodded and pretended to be shocked.

"Idiot." Hatori mumbled, while the two boys giggled feverishly to one another.

"Again, I have something that I'd like to do-"

"-honestly, Tori-chan, say what you really need, not what you feel that you need to say!" Ayame said, cutting him off.

"Ooooh, Aaya-chan! That was really good!" Shigure replied and patted Ayame on the head.

The snake beamed in pride, turned to face Shigure once again, and chirped "Thanks! I read that off of the inspirational calender on Erosei-sensei's desk!"

"Ayame."

"Mmmm?" Ayame replied as he looked back to Hatori.

"Sh."

Ayame nodded as he suddenly lost his enthusiasm and achieved a much more composed demeanor.

"Okay…_honestly_ I am wanting to discuss something with a friend online." Hatori said quietly to the two.

"A friend named imhawt4u2...?" Shigure teasingly questioned with a wink.

"No." came Hatori's unamused reply. "If you must know, her username is 'fennecfoxrawks'…and she is not some mindless internet bimbo like the kind you two run with."

Shigure looked at Ayame in shock. "Do you run with internet bimbos?"

"No!" answered Ayame, eyes wide in interest. "Do you?"

"No, but when Hatori puts it that way, it sounds deadly interesting."

"Gentlemen."

The two stopped mid-conversation to look at Hatori, who looked back at them with an air of displeasure.

"Fine. We'll go. But we hope you don't have the slightest bit of fun to the point that it forces you to hang out with people in the real world!" Ayame replied as he put his hands on his hips defiantly and gave Hatori a very, very stern look.

"Yes. Like us, when we're not off in our own little dreamland." added Shigure with a grin.

The two boys took their leave, whispering hotly between the two of them about the plans for their evening. Once they got to the front door and saw themselves out, Ayame grabbed Shigure by the hand and pulled him near. His face showed a tinge of concern and he bit gently on his bottom lip.

"It'll be okay, Aaya-chan…" Shigure reassured him as he pulled the snake into a hug.

"No, it's not that, Gure-chan. I need to tell you something. Something very important."

end of chapter two


	3. Chapter Three

Author Notes:

Thank you all so much for your kind reviews! Its exciting to see that people are interested in what I'm writing. To answer some of your questions- yes, I do realize that I am incredibly cruel for ending the last chapter in a cliffhanger. But guess what! It isn't going to get any better. So, nyyaaaah! Also, there were some questions on if "fennecfoxrawks" is an OC or not. Well, I'm actually going to torture you all with that! Why? Because I'm not telling'! I'll leave it at this- you may OR may not know the identity of that character. She may or may not be an original character. I will tell you nothing! Hah! Also, Hatori's online name will be revealed in this chapter. So…no need to answer that question here. ;) Oh, and 'gure'slilinu'.. AHH! I had SO used that fixing Shigure line in this chapter! But I removed it, as to keep you from thinking that I was using your material. I about spit my cornflakes all over my monitor when I read that, thinking "Psychic! That chick is PSYCHIC!" Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am not Natsuki Takaya. Good enough?

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_**A Mabudachi Story:**_

_**Chapter Three**_

_By Ayame Kazeai_

'Fennecfoxrawks' never met Hatori in that chat room that night, or any other night for the following four days. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe he had said something wrong. Sure, it had been only twelve lovely days of knowing her, but gods… he already knew he so well. "It must have been something I said…" he thought to himself. Nostalgically, he began to flip through their old emails.

"lawofthedragon-

I really enjoyed talking to you tonight. It's so weird to actually, you know, _level _with someone. I mean, I have friends that are way smarter than me and all that I suppose I could talk to about this, but they are the intimidating kind of smart. You had asked me what I wanted to be once I go to and graduate college…well…I don't know! Maybe a zoologist. I have this thing for animals. Or maybe I'll be a nurse. I have a friend that wants to be a doctor, so he could use a good-looking' thang like me to do all the hard work! (Just kidding!). What about you?

Anyway, catch you later!

-fennecfoxrawks"

"fennecfoxrawks-

Sounds rather entertaining. I actually have dreams of being a doctor myself. If your friend fails to hire you to sit there and look charming, I will. Haha. Sorry this took so long to reply- my dad was bothering me. I had some family thing to do deal with. Anyway, hope to chat more soon.

-lawofthedragon"

"lawofthedragon-

Yeah, family stinks sometimes. I wish I wasn't part of mine sometimes… though, I'd rather have a father that bugs me than one that is an non-existant as mine. I'll chat more later.

-fennecfoxrawks

PS: I'll take you up on that job offer!"

"I'm just overreacting… the problem with a crush is how insecure it makes one feel" he thought with a wry smile. Hatori let out a sigh and relaxed in his chair. A hand went up to brush fingers through his hair, and settled against his chin. "I'm being silly…being let down by some girl on the internet, of all places." he said to himself.

And just as he started to sign off for the evening, an IM popped onto his screen.

"fennecfoxrawks: Hey…"

Hatori blinked, then leaned forward in interest.

"lawofthedragon- Oh, hello there. Where have you been?"

"fennecfoxrawks- I've had family problems…"

Hatori's eyes flitted to the picture that laid next to his monitor, and typed in response "Heh, I feel your pain."

"fennecfoxrawks: Did you miss me?"

"lawofthedragon: Of course."

"fennecfoxrawks: How much?"

Hatori smiled.

"lawofthedragon: Too much!"

"fennecfoxrawks: Aww!"

"lawofthedragon: Hey, let's do something sometime."

He put himself on the line. Twelve days of knowing someone wasn't long, but he felt like he had known her forever. And after a few minutes of silence, he had her response:

"fennecfoxrawks: Okay."

♥

"HAAAAAAAAATORI-SAN!" Ayame squealed as he took a seat on Hatori's desk and, coincidentally, the homework that sat on top of it.

Hatori's eyes slowly rose to the cause of his distraction. Moments later, Shigure appeared on the seat in front of him. The two seemed in an incredibly good mood today- the kind that almost made him worry, at that.

"Yes?" he asked quietly.

"I _just_ organized my first official event since taking over the ever impressive role of Student Body President, Tori-chan!" he replied proudly, and put a hand to his chest "YES! I, Ayame Sohma, have organized the SPRING FORMAL!"

Hatori offered a rare smile in reply. "I'm glad to see that you have put your creative nature to good use."

Shigure, who was (forgive me for the pun) grinning like a dog, held up a finger in the air and added "You haven't heard the best part yet!"

A quick nod of agreement came from Ayame. "YES! Our Spring Formal Extravaganza this year is to be a masquerade ball! Everyone shows up in formal attire and a face mask, and we all dance the night away in the arms of the unknown! Then, at the stroke of midnight, the masks are removed, and the identities revealed."

Applause came from all around them. It was no surprise to see that Ayame's breath taking performance had attracted quite a crowed. He took a bow from his perch on Hatori's homework. "Thank you, thank you."

But Hatori was too deep into thought to notice the commotion.

"A masked ball…"

♥

"fennecfoxrawks: Wow, he sounds like a blast!"

"lawofthedragon: Who, my eccentric, unrealistic friend? Interesting, yes. He has his good qualities, but sometimes he's over the top."

"fennecfoxrawks: Over the top adds excitement!"

"lawofthedragon: Hah, excitement and gray hairs."

It seemed like after the long four days of being apart, the two chatted more than ever. While fennec remained a bit to herself when it came to talk about their families and friends, Hatori had become an open book. He finally felt like he had found someone to confide in. He had also found the kind of person that he knew he could eventually fall for. So, it was without question… he _needed_ to meet her.

"lawofthedragon: Hey Fen?"

"fennecfoxrawks: Yes?"

"lawofthedragon: Think back to a few days ago…"

"fennecfoxrawks: Thinking…"

"lawofthedragon: When I asked if you wanted to 'do something sometime'."

"fennecfoxrawks: Vague memory…"

"lawofthedragon: I've come up with a something."

"fennecfoxrawks: Details?"

"lawofthedragon: Masquerade Ball at my school. Friday night, 7 pm. Faces covered from the world until midnight, then we unveil."

And with that, it was decided. Hatori would be meeting his Cinderella.

♥

"So, I asked Akito-san for permission…" Shigure began, "…I had to 'alter the truth' slightly, so to say…"

"Mm? What did you say to her?" Ayame asked before slipping another grape into his mouth. It was a lazy afternoon and the boys were just relaxing. Ayame was sprawled across Hatori's bed with a bowl of grapes at his side, in a way that might cause one to think of Cleopatra a la Elizabeth Taylor. Shigure sat next to him with his back against the wall, fighting off Ayame's hand swats as he attempted to steal his grapes. Hatori, however, sat on a nearby chair- legs crossed, posture perfect, and hands folded on his lap.

Shigure thought for a moment, then answered "Well, I told her that we had a study group for a project. We didn't want to be out late every night this week, so instead we're going to get it all done in one evening."

Hatori nodded. "Very good. And were we given permission?"

"Yes. She said that we have to be home by 1 am. She even said that she might send out people to check on us, and if we're late…"

Ayame rolled over onto his back and ran a finger across his neck, as if demonstrating their punishment. The three boys laughed heartily.

"Crazy how we're under the tyrannical reign of a 10 year old…" Ayame added after the laughter died down.

"At least she's letting us go!" Hatori replied with a smile.

"Too true." Shigure replied, then turned in interest to look at Hatori. "So, what is the plan with you and your cyber darling anyway? Is she going?"

Hatori nodded. "Yes, she is. She is going to meet me at the school…thankfully, she knows where it is located. We've arranged to meet in the center of the dance floor near that lovely disco ball that Ayame so unnecessarily placed there. She said that she will be wearing white, and I will be wearing a rose, as to help her to find me. From there, who knows… the only bad part is that her mother will be there to pick her up by midnight, so we might miss the unmasking. Think you could call it a few minutes early, Ayame?"

"Mmm, sure. I think I could swing that for you." Ayame replied with a smile.

♥

"Wow, Ayame…I think you've actually outdone yourself." Shigure exclaimed, hand resting on his chin, as he surveyed the scene of the ball. Just from the outside it looked amazing. Hollywood styled lights waved back and forth from the ground, emitting beams of light up in to the sky as far as the eye could see. Cars, limos, and other luxury vehicles pulled up to the front doors, which were open just enough to see the lights and decorations, to drop off their riders. It was glamour in it's best state. Even all of the fellow students were beautiful. Tales, top hats, sweeping evening gowns, and of course…stylish, face hiding masks on everyone.

Ayame stood proudly, hands on his hips, as he smiled and took in the grandeur that was his first social event of the school year. "Yes, well.. I'm Ayame! Would you have expected less?" he replied with a wink. "But for now, my darlings, I have things to tend to. I need to make sure everything goes by perfectly. I'll catch up with you two soon." he added, then ran off to take care of business.

The two remaining friends shrugged to one another, and started on their way through the doors. They were in the grand ballroom of the local Hilton, a place typically reserved for political balls or conventions or other high-end events. Crystal chandeliers hung from every possible place on the ceiling, showing that too much was never enough. The floors were a beautiful red and gray marble, and huge Grecian styled columns were tucked away in ever corner. There was crystal literally everywhere and curtains, streamers, balloons, and other décor in shades of pink, purple, and lavender. It was almost like a scene out of a storybook fairytale…you know, the kind where the princess finds her prince amongst the frogs all begging to dance with her?

"Well, I'm off to do my thing. Good luck with your date, Haa-chan!" Shigure cooed playfully as he clapped his friend on the back. Before he could even make his way away from Hatori, a group of girls rushed up to him.

"Oh, Shigure-san! We wanted to know if you'd… if you'd dance with our friend!" a pretty girl with long black hair asked nervously. Two of the girls nodded while another girl looked away with embarrassment.

"Depends…are you that friend?" he replied smoothly, and ran a fingertip along her jaw line.

The girl stammered. Oh my. Did _Shigure Sohma_ just t-t-touch her! Another girl shoved her to the side suddenly, stepped up, let out a huge heaving sigh, and said "No. It's our other friend." as she pointed to the blonde-haired girl standing nearby, who continued to keep her eyes away from him in embarrassment. "She's had the biggest crush on you fore-"

The girl suddenly looked to the two and whapped her friend on the back of the head. "No, Mizuki! Please don't!"

Mizuki looked over her shoulder at the girl, shot her a dirty look, and replied "Mii, with that kind of attitude, you won't get anywhere in life."

Shigure held his hands up as if he were under arrest, took a step back, and said "Now now ladies. There's enough Gure-chan for everyone. But for now, I must go and find Ayame."

"A-a-Ayame…-kun…." the girls all cooed dreamily.

Hatori turned his back on the spectacle as Shigure excused himself and took his leave, and in perfect time too, considering that just as he turned his attention to the doorway, everyone else seemed to as well. There was an angel in their midst.

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End Note: I didn't want to make this one sooo short, but then I decided to make the entire meeting part into it's own chapter.. which wasn't what I had originally planned. I am so sorry that it's another cliffhanger! I will strive to make things better! GOMEN NASSSAAAAAAAAAAAAII-flails arms around- 


	4. Chapter Four

Author Notes: OH MY GOD, PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIKE WHAT I'M WRITING! I'm so incredibly thrilled! Thank you to all of you who have commented to me about this either here, on live journal, or on any of the rpg forums that I'm in. You guys are awesome, and hopefully in the end, my story will be as well. We made it through to chapter four! Here is the one you've all been waiting for- meeting our Cinderella! Next chapter we will find out who Cinderella's true identity is… and, in our last chapter, we will have a big explanation of how things happened. So, five and six will come out at the same exact time, and then we'll be done!  
Much apologies to anyone who read the forbidden Akito spoiler without being forewarned. GOMEN NASSAAAAAIIII! I will immediately add in the description that I have thrown in spoilers! I'm so, sooo sorry. I didn't think. Please don't kill me! Gomen nasai!Also, some of you might notice that a couple of reviews are coming from someone named 'Fennec'. This is purely coincidental. No, I didn't name my Cinderella after the famous fanfic author Fennec. Nope. whistles Okay, so I did. For giggles. But please don't mistaken the writer for being the identity of our Cinderella! Speaking of Fennec.. I threw Meiko in there for you. Happy? ;)  
And last but not least, who do you guys think Cinderella is now? I'm curious! I've heard what some people think, but I really, really wanna know now! So if you review, please include in your review if you think she's an original character or not, or if you think she's not an original character, who do you think she is?  
Ja ne for now! I look forward to talking to you all again… when the end is here! Muhahah!  
Disclaimer: After four chapters, I _still _am not Natsuki Takaya. Woe is me.

* * *

_**A Mabudachi Story:**_

_**Chapter Four**_

_By Ayame Kazeai_

It didn't surprise him a bit that the girl standing in the doorway attracted so much attention. She really was a vision of beauty. Platinum hair laid in long, tousled ringlets around her form, topped with a small tiara. Her body was clad in a strapless white gown with piles and piles of lacy fabric making up the flowing skirt, and a white feathered mask covered her face almost completely, leaving only her chin and crimson painted lips exposed. _There's no way…_ he thought to himself as he watched her glide into the room, looking around for something -or someone- in particular. But out of morbid curiosity and hope, he made his way to the center of the floor.

For a moment, it seemed liked the entire room was watching him. His exact spot, his exact position on the floor. They were all staring right at him. In any other situation, it would have made him dreadfully nervous, to the point that he wouldn't have been able to stand it. The room almost started to spin. This would be it. The exact moment he had been waiting for. He just knew it. She was there for him. And as a hand gently tapped on his shoulder, Hatori took a deep breath and turned around to face the person who could forever change his life…

"Breath, Hatori, breath." Shigure said slowly.

Hatori's face fell. "Shigure. Why are you tapping on my shoulder?" he replied with a notable level of anger coating his tone. He had been so sure that it would have been her…

"Because…" Shigure explained slowly, "…I didn't want you to be completely breathless when you looked beside you."

Slowly, his brow raised in response, and he glanced over to his side. There she was- his Cinderella. He looked back to Shigure, only to find that he had already made his way off, schmoozing with the fellow students, a leggy girl with curly blonde hair in particular.

"LawoftheDragon?" a quiet voice asked.

He nodded. "Yes. And you must be Fennec, am I correct?"

"Yes." she replied nervously. "Um… would you like to dance or something?"

"I'd be delighted."

Hatori took her by the hand and led her to a secluded area of the dance floor. It was like something out of a movie- everything was as perfect as it could be. She spoke with such an intelligence… in a voice that was rather dry and scratchy, perhaps from a spring cold… but the content of what she said was so covered in everything that ever interested Hatori that he couldn't help but give her 150 of his attention. Even harder was fighting the urge to hold her near…to bring his lips to her cheek, to run a hand through her hair, and to hold her in his arms while they talked about boring stuff like Plato or Aristotle. It was weird- they had just met, but he felt like he had known her forever. There was just this _pull_. This irresistible urge to be her everything. He couldn't help but shake it off, though. There was no way that he could be in love with some girl that he had just met, better yet some girl who's face he hadn't even seen yet. She could be missing a nose for all he knew, and here he was, thinking she was the best that ever there was. _Silly, _he thought to himself, _Silly, but so nice…_

"Were you able to talk your Mom into letting you stay a bit late?" he asked quietly as a hand slipped over her thin shoulder.

Behind the mask, brows furrowed. "..No.. no, I couldn't. We have this thing tomorrow morning…and I have to be well rested for it. Or I'll get in trouble. I'm so sorry." she replied quickly.

"If you don't want to, that's okay too…"

"…it's not that I don't want to, I just.."

"Let's go outside."

"Okay."

Hatori slipped a hand over her lithe fingers and pulled her across the floor and outside of the doors leading to the garden, not even realizing that the whole time he was under the close surveillance of Shigure, who danced nearby with their classmate Meiko while not letting them out of his sight. They sat down on a nearby bench just outside of the view from the inside. Immediately, a hand went up to his neck and he let out a great sigh.

"It's so…_loud_ in there. I thought this would be best, so that we could talk."

She coughed nervously. "Sorry if I sound so horrible.. I have this throat thing, and it makes me sound like an old lady…"

"Don't worry about it. I don't care how your voice sounds. We're together now…"

"But not for long."

"All the time in the world or not enough time at all, it doesn't matter. Time is time. I'll love every minute of it either way."

They smiled at one another for a moment, then both let out a sigh at the exact same time, causing a giggle to come from both.

"Were you waiting for me for long?" she asked quietly as a hand settled in his.

"Nn, not too long. I had to come a little bit early since my cousin Ayame is running the show. But in all actuality, I think you might have come a bit early as well!"

"Heh, well…I was nervous. I wanted to make sure that you'd actually be here. That, and I was afraid that if I was late, you'd leave, and this would never happen. I was so nervous." she replied with, unsurprisingly, a nervous laugh.

He laughed in return. "You know, now that we're outside and no one is watching, we _could_ take our masks off…"

She immediately shook her head. "No, what if we get caught? Won't we get in trouble."

"I doubt it."

"Are you sure? Isn't your cousin running it? I bet he'd be mad."

"Well, he'd be upset that things didn't go exactly how he had planned." he replied thoughtfully. "But I doubt he'd exactly kill us. But it's okay. Please just let me see you. Please."

His hand reached up to remove her mask, regardless of if he had her permission or not. But immediately, her hand followed suite and rested on his in an attempted to stop his movement. She gave his a slight squeeze as she shook her head again. "No… not now…"

Their hands locked against her silky skin. He couldn't explain it. There was just… something… _something _that made him love her immediately. This kind, caring, beautiful aura of a friend for years surrounded her. He just couldn't shake it. His other hand rose to press a thumb against her lips. He moved his gaze down to them. There it was again- that calling, telling him to just take the plunge. Boyhood hormones were a bitch.

"I want to kiss you." he mumbled softly as his face neared hers.

Immediately, her forehead moved to rest against his, and she whispered "You can't."

"I can."

"I can't let you."

"Why not?" he replied in an exasperated whisper.

"You'll regret it."

"That's my decision to make, Fennec."

Without even thinking a second longer, he slipped his hand from her lips to the back of her head, and pulled her in for a kiss-

"What are you doing?" a stern voice called out from the doorway, causing Hatori to stop before his lips could even reach hers. He looked up, almost panicked and expecting to see an older teacher there to chew them out, but saw Shigure instead. A devious grin was across the dog's face as he leaned against the door frame.

"Shigure…" he almost growled.

"You better get inside. Ayame is about to hit the stage to announce the de-masking, and you know he'll be just heartbroken if you miss his shining moment. He's been working behind the scenes this whole time, you know…"

Hatori's eyes widened and immediately he looked down at his watch. _Damnit _he thought to himself as he brought a hand up to his forehead. _It's almost midnight…that means…_

Before the thought could even be processed, Fennec started to rise from her seat. "That's right", she replied, "I'm gonna have to go. Mom will be here any minute now."

"No, don't go, not now." Hatori pleaded as he stood up and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"No, I can't! I have to go or I'll get in trouble, and I won't be able to see you again!" she replied in a panicked tone.

He sighed. "I'll take the blame. I'll meet her, and apologize. She'll be able to forgive you! I promise!"

"No, I can't. I'm so sorry." she replied as she started to step away.

Impulsively, and in a last ditch effort to have her stay, he grabbed her by the arm, pulled her back to him, and pressed his lips to hers hungrily. They connected. One could say that fireworks went off, or they felt that warm, tingly feeling. One could also say that hormones were raging for the first time ever as well. Either way, something happened. Hatori's hands ran along her shoulders, holding her near (though not too near) as the kiss became deeper and more passionate. Lips parted and fires burned. And then she pulled away.

"Hatori…" she whispered in a desperate tone.

Slowly, his eyes opened in shock to see her running away from him. He took off after her, determined to not lose her now. But by the time he rounded the corner, she was all but completely gone. That is… except for an item lying on the ground. Slowly, he made his way to it. It was a shoe. A simple diamond incrusted shoe. _Surely she'll be back for this…_ he thought for a moment as he picked it up and held it in his hand.

Somewhere in the distance, Ayame was on the loud speaker, announcing that it was midnight and time to de-mask. Hatori stared off into the distance as the cool breeze swept his hair off of his face, and a forlorn expression took over as he wished that the moment had come a little bit sooner…


	5. Chapter Five

Authors Notes: Oh, I think I may have forgotten to make this painfully obvious in the previous chapters- Fennec DOES go Kaibara High! **This is important information to know for here on out**. Whoops. ;

First of all, I wasn't cool enough to even want to bother making up ten unique names for the ten ladies in the Cinderella competition! So instead, I just pulled out eight characters from other manga sitting around my living room. I know, not very creative, but que sera sera!

Disclaimers: All Fruits Basket Characters are property of Natsuki Takaya. Fuu (Magic Knight Rayearth) appears on behalf of Clamp! Hali (INVU) is property of Kim Kang Won. Kisa (MARS) is property of Fuyumi Soryo! Sana (Kodocha) belongs to Miho Obana.

_**

* * *

**_

_**A Mabudachi Story:**_

_**Chapter Five**_

_By Ayame Kazeai_

"So let me get this straight." Shigure started. "Cinderella ran off, left an expensive looking shoe, and hasn't emailed or instant messaged you yet? I call 'something's fishy here'."

Ayame nodded as he inspected the shoe. "Oh, I agree! For the most part, they are cubic zirconium, but two of these are real diamonds. Pretty expensive. I'd say the shoe itself is worth a good 200 bucks at least." he added, speaking with the air of a true fashionista.

Shigure pointed at the shoe for a moment, and added "Haa-chan, we could sell that shoe and buy you a new girlfriend. And if you accidentally transformed, we could buy her into not realizing it. This has potential."

Hatori shook his head as he leaned against the wall. The three boys were in his bedroom, in their usual positions, gossiping about the night before like old women around a sewing table.

"I must be a bad kisser…" he said thoughtfully, almost to himself.

"I doubt that!" Ayame replied enthusiastically.

Shigure instantly shot him a disapproving look, and Ayame returned his devoted attention to the shoe.

"Well, then maybe you should just let her go. You know how Sohma House feels about us being involved with normal people anyway. You're just asking for trouble." Shigure added.

A sigh escaped Hatori's lips as he nodded and brought a knee up to rest his head on. "Yes, I'm aware of that. But I just can't shake the feeling that I was with the woman I was bound to be with. Do you know what I mean?"

"If you mean that warm fuzzy feeling I get whenever Aaya is around, then yes! I do!" he replied with a cheesy grin as Ayame looked up from the shoe and beamed proudly.

A cold look from Hatori caused both boys to return to what they were doing before, though, and he let out a sigh.

"I want to find her. If not to see her again…or actually, you know, _see_ her, then to at least return the shoe. Will you help me?" he pleaded as he looked to both boys.

Ayame bit his bottom lip as he put the shoe down on his lap and looked at Shigure, who gave Ayame a look as well. Neither of them knew exactly what they would be getting themselves into. Or rather, they knew, but would rather not have to admit… Shigure shrugged and replied "Yeah, sure."

♥

By first period on Monday morning, the campus was literally covered in flyers. Each one of them held a sketch of the girl with a huge question mark over the face, with the following written on the bottom:

"Help Hatori-san find his Cinderella!

If you know who this girl is, contact

Shigure or Ayame Sohma with

any information.

In addition to this, Shigure and Ayame were making themselves known as "Prince Hatori's Nobel Knights of Cinderella Finding" as they made appearances on the school's television channel and daily newspaper, and even went as far as to set up a booth in the common grounds for women to go to and "apply". As for Hatori, he was pretty optimistic. Surely someone had to have known who she was. She had to have friends or someone who helped her to arrange everything, or at least a sister or other family member who attended their school as well. And with all of the publicity this was attracting…yeah, he was pretty optimistic.

But, with all of the good came the bad. Women were suddenly flocking all over him, and he wasn't exactly keen on all of the attention. His day was now full of women practically chasing him down the hall, saying "Forget Cinderella, I'm real!" or "Had I known you were on the market, Ha-kun, I wouldn't have let her have a chance!" While his two friends enjoyed the company and companionship of Hatori's new-found fan girls, he was getting tired of it pretty quickly.

"Can we…speed this up a bit? Do we have enough information so that, perhaps, we won't have to do this tomorrow?" he asked, exasperated, as they headed out of school after their first day of Cinderella hunting.

"Well, you never know!" Shigure replied in a cheerful tone. "She could have been sick today. We wouldn't want the real Cinderella to miss an opportunity due to an illness, would we?"

"You might have a point." Hatori replied thoughtfully.

Ayame just nodded as he sifted through a stack of papers in his arms, holding about 200 Cinderella applications.

"And all of these?" he asked as he pointed to Ayame's stack.

"Mm, applications, Tori-chan." Ayame replied as he smiled up at his friend. "Prescreening process! We look through these, and narrow it down to the kinds of women that would even be in a college chat room. Then, since we had them attach pictures and all, we can also eliminate girls that could have never looked like Cinderella did. She was quite the knock-out, ne?"

Shigure nodded. "Yes, that she was. We're just streamlining the process!" he added with a proud grin.

Hatori couldn't help but smile as he returned his gaze to the road in front of him. Not only did he fall in love at first site, but his two best friends were finally willing to help him along the way. Nothing could be more perfect.

However, not everything was peachy on the other side.

♥

"Is this blindfold absolutely necessary?" Hatori asked quietly as Ayame and Shigure lead him down the corridor. It had been a week since they started their Cinderella Auditions, and finally the day for him to meet his matches arrived. In all actuality, he was incredibly nervous. He was, possibly, minutes away from being reunited with the woman who made him feel the way he felt that night. To him, it was absolutely incredible.

Shigure and Ayame beamed at one another behind Hatori's back, then answered together with a simple "YES!"

Moments later, he was seated. Shigure walked around in front of him, smiled, and looked out to the girls who stood in front of him. "Ladies, Hatori has arrived. We will now be in the final stages of our Cinderella Seeking Competition. We ask that you do not act outside of your normal character around Hatori- remember, he knows his real Cinderella. You would just be wasting your time, and our Prince Charming here has a busy schedule, so chop chop!" he instructed, then snatched the blindfold off of Hatori's face.

He was stunned. Hatori now sat surrounded by some of the most beautiful girls in the school. Many of them were upper classmen, but hell…he didn't care. He wouldn't mind to go out with a single one of them. He glanced up at Shigure, who was grinning like a madman, then over to Ayame…who, for some reason, was avoiding his gaze. He reached over to give the boy a pat on the back, then sat back in his chair in satisfaction.

Behind Hatori's back, however, Ayame looked to Shigure with unease on his face. But a stern look from Shigure caused him to sigh and just give in. Ayame stepped forward as Shigure hit the play button on a nearby portable radio. The tune typically used in the Miss Japan pageant played in the background as Ayame picked up his microphone, flipped it on, and began to announce the girls. _Proud face…proud voice…we're doing this for Hatori… _he told himself as he readied for the show. Slowly, a microphone went up to his lips and he flashed a devilish smile at all of the girls.

"First!" he started, "We have Miss Fuu!" A young, shy looking girl with curly blonde hair stepped forward, pushed glasses up her petite nose, and bowed slightly. Instantly, she looked away and blushed. "Miss Fuu is Number 3 in her class! She is a freshman, and enjoys reading, walking on the beach, and hanging out with her two best friends. Fuu, take a bow!" She did as instructed- bowed, then hurried off to the side of her two friends, who were standing nearby.

Ayame arched a brow at Hatori, then continued. "Next, we have Miss Hali!" he announced with a wink at the girl.

She stepped forward slowly, nodded, and said a simple "Hey, what's up." to Hatori, then flashed her million dollar smile.

Ayame grinned at Shigure, then continued. "Miss Hali is a fashion model, known for her rough looks, but ability to get dressed up and glam better than any other girl. While studies are not her thing, she does plan on going to Tokyo Uni… 'just for fun', as she put it!" She winked again, made a hand into the peace sign, kissed it, and used it to wave goodbye to him before sauntering away.

Hatori actually had to take a moment to re-adjust himself in his chair before allowing Ayame to go on.

"Next would be the lovely Miss Kisa!" Ayame said as he practically pulled a cute blonde with shy eyes over to him. She, much like Fuu, was pretty shy…but at the same time, looked like the warm kind of person who would friendly up to someone quickly. "Miss Kisa is an artist! She also retains high marks in all of her courses, and plans on continuing her artistic studies for years to come. She is most well known for the painting of the god 'Mars' currently on display in the senior hall."

The girl bowed quickly, smiled, and made her way to the side.

The next girl stepped up to Ayame without even being called over. She smiled mischievously, and gave him a light punch on the arm, causing him to laugh and playfully punch her back. "Next is one of my classmates that I don't think Shigure and Hatori have met yet! This is So-Na." he said cheerfully. "And yes, I know So-Na has brown hair, but she specializes in wigs and wears a different one practically every day. So it's likely that she could have had blonde hair on that night!"

So-Na waved at the two and started to say something before a voice called out from the distance "OHAYO, SO-NA!" She glanced over, grimaced, and ran the other direction, saying "Okay, it's been nice, but I've got to go. Tell that guy to not follow me if he asks, okay? Okay."

Ayame shrugged, then called the next contestant over. A cute girl came over, giggling like crazy, and flashed Ayame an adorable smile. He responded with one of his own. She was the infectious kind of cute. "Oooh, this one is a favorite of mine. Meet Miss Kana. She has dreams of being either a doctor or a nurse in the future. She also wants to attend Tokyo University."

Hatori instantly sat up in his seat as a very, very interested look crossed his face. The girl giggled in response, bringing her knuckles up to hide a smile.

Ayame looked between the two, smiled, and carried on. "Miss Kana here actually is a native to where we live as well! It's really cool. But back on topic, Miss Kana is 10th in her class, and moves up a position just about every semester. She's also deathly devoted to her school work, and is an overachiever. Thank you, Miss Kana!" Ayame added, then waved goodbye as she went to join the others.

The next girl stepped up to Ayame, grabbed the mic from his hand as he was still smiling at the now departed Kana, and cleared her throat.

"Hi. I'm Sana. You may remember me from popular children's shows such as Komawari Theater!" she began, but was cut short by Ayame snatching the microphone back.

"I'm running this show, sister." he said, annoyed, then sighed and continued. "I really don't know how Miss Sana got in. I think she just annoyed us to the point that we said yes. But she's famous, and very cute. What can you say?"

Sana bowed, then went to join the other contestants.

The like went on for about a good 20 minutes longer. Women of all shapes, sizes, and personalities paraded in front of Hatori, and he found himself losing interest as it went on. Some of them seemed hopeful, or could even be the one he sought. But for the most part, they just didn't feel right.

♥

Hatori, Shigure, and Ayame found themselves back in their usual Hatori's room positions, relaxing after a tough day of Cinderella interviewing.

"Sooooo, Tori-chan, what did you think?" Ayame asked melodiously as he popped a grape into his mouth.

Hatori, who had previously been lost in thought, snapped out of it and gazed over at Ayame. "I don't know…so many of them didn't seem like my type…or Fennec's type either, at that. She's pretty special and unique."

"Yeah? How so?"

"Well, I don't know. I can't explain it. When we were chatting online, it was like talking to an old friend. She seemed to know just what to say to make it all right. And even though she mentioned a few times that she had problems at home, she never harped on it. She just let it slide, and worried more about me than herself. It was so weird. She always knew just when I was having problems, even though she couldn't see me, and then knew just what to say to make it all better."

Ayame's eyes found themselves opening wider as a pleased smile crossed his lips. As he listened, he popped another grape into his mouth, then added, "She sounds amazing."

"After kissing her, I know that she is. I mean, I always knew, but now I _know._"

Shigure looked over at Ayame with a raised brow while the two spoke, and snuck a grape into his own mouth before finally looking away.

"Did any of them seem to be a possible Cinderella match?" Ayame finally asked.

"Nn…not for the most part. Some of them were too laid back, or too outgoing to be her. Fuu seemed almost too shy, though. Kana was more of a perfect balance than anyone else, but at the same time, I don't know."

"You know…" Shigure finally added, "Kana lives in the outside. She's a Sohma, but not cursed." Though he was talking to Hatori, his eyes found their way to Ayame, watching him react to his words.

Hatori turned to Shigure in interest. "Really?"

His gaze went back to Hatori as he nodded and replied "Oh yes. That's one of the reasons why we picked her, actually."

Ayame nodded frantically in agreement, suddenly beaming happily. "Even if she doesn't turn out to be Cinderella, you might want to give her a chance, ne?"

"Oh, I don't want to give chances. I'm not a chance man. I want to find the right her, and be happy."

♥

The search continued. Hatori ended up narrowing the list down to Hali, Fuu, and Kana. He brought all three ladies on dates just to test, but in the end…none of them felt exceptionally right. He even brought up the idea of the shoe, and while two of the mentioned that they wished they could have a pair, the shoe didn't quite fit with any. Hatori returned home that day with absolutely no hope.

"It's not going to happen. We find three strong candidates and the end up being nothing. Nothing nothing. She's left me, and she obviously doesn't want me back." he said to himself out loud, and threw the shoe at his closet door in anger. A hand went up to his face, pressing fingertips into his forehead as his eyes closed in thought.

The phone began to ring, and he almost didn't answer it. He didn't feel like talking to anyone today. But, a glance at the caller ID revealed the caller to be someone from Ayame's home. Slowly, he sat down at his desk with a sigh and picked up the receiver.

"Hatori speaking."

"Hatori, this is Shigure."

"Nn. Yes?"

"Hey, Ayame and I are studying.. I thought you'd like to come over and hang with us."

"Not really…"

"It'll get your mind off of things."

_I feel like crap. My two best friends, no… only friends… had done everything they could do to help me. And I'm taking it out on them? They deserve better. What a piece of crap I am. No wonder she left me. She must have seen it coming. he scowled himself, then let out another sigh._

"Come on, Hatori! We'll go out later, and it'll be fun. Then we'll resume the search first thing tomorrow."

"I'll be there." he finally answered, then dropped the receiver back onto it's cradle. Moments later, he was en route to Ayame's house.

♥

Shigure stood in the doorframe, body stretched in a most comfortable position as his eyes practically burned into the back of Hatori's head. Stupid. The two sat on the couch, laughing between the two of them while they watched some pointless, uninteresting educational show on the television. All the while, Ayame was pretending to understand what it was talking about. He had been on this kick lately- trying to prove himself to be more intelligent, as if it would make him a better person or something. Hatori and Ayame were so involved in their talk, and it made Shigure sick. They had hardly even realized that he had left their side. And Hatori was so, so very oblivious. _It's… it's time. I'm sick and tired of this crap._ he thought to himself. _There's a reason why I called him over tonight. Let's get it taken care of._

"Hey, Ha-chan. Could I get your help?" he asked from his position, then flashed a smile.

The dragon immediately rose to his feet and went to him. Just as he thought he would. "Yeah, Shigure?"

He moved closer to his friend as he put on a face of playful innocence. "I got a surprise for Ayame. He's been feeling a little down lately. Could you do me a favor?" he whispered.

"Sure, anything."

"It's in a big white box under his bed. I think there are some other things in the box, but what I'm needing is the white teddy bear in there." he replied, faux sweet smile plastered across his features. "I'd get it myself, but I wanted to talk to him about it first. I can say its from the two of us, hm?"

Hatori nodded and patted Shigure on the shoulder, smile across his face, then climbed the den stairs and disappeared from view. Shigure looked down at the ground for a moment, then back up , staring at the back of Ayame's head. His eyes cut.

Hatori couldn't help but smile on his way up the winding staircase up to Ayame's room. He had been a bit down after being unable to locate his Cinderella, but his friends were there for him. And now they'd do something for Ayame. He had noticed that Ayame seemed quieter lately and a bit on the glum side- two attitudes that the snake rarely allowed. Now, the visit was starting to feel worth it, though. He couldn't think of the last time that he did something nice for Ayame. Or Shigure either, at that. _I'll have to think of something for him later.. They had to deal with me being a complete jackass for so long, then just jumped up to assist me…I have such wonderful friends._

Shigure slowly sauntered down the stairs and moved to the back of the couch.

Ayame looked over his shoulder to Shigure and smiled. "Come join me, Gure-chan!" he chirped as he patted the seat next to him.

Reluctantly, Shigure walked over and took a seat at Ayame's side. "There." he said quite plainly.

"I'm so excited that Hatori came over tonight! I was afraid that us not being able to find a Cinderella stand-in would leave him, you know, let down? Or sad?" he said in excitement, then sighed happily. "Are you excited, too?" he asked. His gold eyes shimmered brightly as he leaned in to Shigure.

He started to do as he always did- lie. Lie, say what he knew would make Ayame happy, and hate himself later. But considering the way that he had been just walked all over the past few weeks, he really didn't feel like it this time. "Why is he so wonderful to you? Why do you care?" he asked coldly.

Ayame's face faltered. "Nani? What do you mean?"

He immediately moved a hand up to his forehead and shook his head. _I'll blow it if I keep this up. _"Nothing, Aaya-chan. Nothing."

Ayame's face turned to one of concern for a moment. "You sure?"

"Yeah."

Ayame nodded and brought a fingertip up to his lips, chewing on it slightly as he leaned back into the couch.

Hatori crouched by Ayame's bed. _Good lord, he has a lot of crap under here… _he thought to himself as he began to dig under it. But, much to his pleasure, he found the box… though it surprised him that such a big box could be so covered. He picked it up, placed it on Ayame's bed, and took the lid off. Moments later, he found himself storming down the stairs in a blind fury.

Shigure glanced at Ayame through the corner of his eyes. He actually enjoyed seeing Ayame upset…it gave him that rare feeling that maybe Ayame was just thinking of him for the moment. But at the same time, this night wasn't about hurting _Ayame_. Well, not by him, at least. "I'm… sorry." he said to the snake quietly.

Ayame lowered his hand and looked at Shigure. "But why? You haven't done anyth"

'THE… HELL!" a voice called out from the doorway, cutting the snake's words short. Shigure smiled for a moment before he even thought of turning around.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!" Hatori screamed as he threw the box onto the ground in front of him.

Ayame looked at him, and the mess on the ground in front of him, in complete and utter horror. "N-n-no, Hatori, it… isn't what you think!" he stammered as tears immediately filled those golden eyes. Over a month's worth of deception laid on the ground between them all: a white dress, a wig of platinum ringlets, a masquerade mask, and half a pair of diamond shoes.


	6. Chapter Six

Author Notes: So finally, we've made it to the end! You all know who our Cinderella is, and now…now we explain how things happened. All of those questions you've had all along will now clear up. So, ladies and gents, please enjoy the last and finally installment.

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_**A Mabudachi Story:**_

_**Chapter Six**_

_By Ayame Kazeai_

Ayame didn't know how to react. The man he loved was standing in the doorframe with an expression on his face that practically screamed "MURDER, DEATH, KILL, DIE.", while his best friend sat next to him smiling. He was torn- explain everything to Hatori, or hit Shigure with something hard, then run out of the room.

Hatori was absolutely seething in anger. So much that he really, really didn't know what to think. He found himself stumbling through his words as he attempted to say "FUCKING EXPLAIN THIS!"

Slowly, Shigure climbed to his feet and turned to look at Hatori. He had the kind of humored look on his face that made Hatori, or even _Ayame_, want to claw his face off. "Let me see…" he began. Hands went behind his back as he walked to the items, and kicked slightly at the lonely diamond shoe. "…without knowing it, you and Ayame met in that chat room. Since he's apparently some closet genius, he had some different username that he was using to chat in that place for Tokyo Uni hopefuls. The first night that we talked about it…you know, when you said the username, he confided in me afterwards that he was Fennec." He paused to smile over at Ayame while he added "And he was so, so happy to know that he had been talking to you. Up to that point, he had no clue. Absolutely thrilled."

Hatori's eyes shifted to Ayame, who sat with his hands covering his face.

"So." Shigure continued, hoping to take Hatori's gaze back for himself. "So I had this idea. I thought 'Hey! Why not continue this? You can make Hatori happy by being this friend and confidante online, and then just make sure that you never meet him! He'll feel like he has this beautiful, amazing, and special woman. Then maybe he'll relax and be happy.' Ayame seemed so keen on the idea, especially after I threw in a 'And we want Hatori to be happy, ne?'." He began to pace slightly while he spoke. "That, of course, is why he was gone for so long. It took a bit of convincing to get him to deceive you. Ayame, ever the honest follower…"

"Shigure, please just stop!" the snake called out in a quivering voice. So much of this, Ayame didn't even see. He had no clue that he was being made into the fool. And it stung to the core to hear it.

"NO!" Shigure yelled in response, fiery eyes shooting at Ayame's sobbing form. "You need to hear this too! You need to know what your Gure has done to you!" He was almost smiling. It was so contrite.

He looked back at the livid Hatori, who stood there with his hands in balled fists at his side, ready to spring to the attack at any moment. A smile went back across his face as he continued. "But you see, Ayame couldn't help but say yes to you when you asked him to the ball. I told him it was such a stupid idea. I really did. But he was convinced that he would just go and give you the night of your life without you ever knowing it was him, and then it would be over. He promised me that with that, it would be over. He even said he'd blow you off at the end of the night if it meant that you'd forget about him or her or whatever the hell he wanted to be known as. So we did it. We got a wig, and he made a gown. A beautiful gown, I must admit…fitted and stuffed in the right places to give him the allure of a perky young girl. He even practiced sounding more effeminate. It was all together."

"SHIGURE, PLEASE! JUST STOP!" Ayame yelled out again, but sprung to his feet this time. Tears stained his reddening cheeks.

Hatori looked back to Ayame with eyes burning in rage. He pointed a finger at him and shouted "NO, YOU JUST SIT DOWN! I WANT TO HEAR THE REST OF THIS!"

"Hatori, please!" the boy pleaded. "Just make him stop! Let it stop! It doesn't matter! Just hate me and forget this ever happened! You don't have to hear anymore!"

"SIT DOWN" Shigure yelled in return, then finished in a much sweeter tone, "And let me finish. Trust me, Hatori wants to hear this."

Fresh tears started their decent down his cheeks as he gave up. There was no use. Shigure was determined.

"So then go forward to the night of the dance. Ayame left us early to get into his outfit, then met you. You two danced, shmoozed, and carried on. He was suppose to just tell you that it didn't feel right and leave you before midnight, giving him enough time to get changed again and be up on stage at midnight. But no. No no no. You two had to go off and fall.in.love. And then, even though I tried to distract you and keep what I saw from happening, you had to go and kiss him, Hatori." he added, then asked in a mock curious tone "Now, why did you go and do that? Didn't you know that actually being able to kiss you would make Ayame fall more in love?" He laughed for a moment, hiding his face in his hands… hiding the pain that accompanied the humor. "I mean.. you didn't even realize it was him. Not even when he said your name. You had no clue. So he ran away as I told him to, and it was suppose to be over. All over."

"But you had to be so damn persistent!" he added, yelling at Hatori in frustration. "You just had to tell her, and I just had to keep you from having Ayame. I refused to let him tell you. And he wanted to. He really did, he wanted to go up to you and kiss you the way you kissed him, and then run off to live in some damn fairy tale land where you would actually give him the light of day!"

Ayame couldn't take it anymore. Hatori wasn't suppose to know. In the end, they decided that. Hatori would be better without some boy hanging all over him. Why in the hell was Shigure doing this? He wanted to know, but he didn't want to hear it. So, mustering up all of the strength he had, he made a sprint past Shigure… past Hatori…and out the door, leaving in a flurry of hair and tear drops.

Hatori, however, stood his ground. "So then what?" he asked between gritted teeth.

"I convinced Ayame that we could find you some hopeful girl that you could believe was your precious Cinderella. She'd be happy because she'd be with one of the most eligible bachelors in the school. You'd be happy because you'd think you were with Miss Perfect. It didn't work, apparently…"

"Then…" Hatori replied angrily, "Why did you do it? Why not just let Ayame come forward?"

"Because. You don't deserve him. You've let him pine over you since we were fucking kids, Hatori! And you never got your head out of your ass far enough to notice it. However, I've been there for every word he ever had to say about you. I've had to deal with him crying on my shoulder just about every damn night, wondering why he wasn't good enough for you. Hatori, he's beyond good enough for you. He's too good. And that's why I decided tonight that I would do whatever it took to tear him away from you!"

As he spoke, Hatori slowly made his way down the staircase. And right about as soon as Shigure said his last word, Hatori stood almost nose to nose with him. "Wrong answer." he replied coldly…then allowed his fist to directly connect to Shigure's chin. "I don't need Miss Perfect. I didn't need some random girl you pulled off of the streets either. And I don't need this bullshit."

Hatori turned and walked out of the room, leaving Shigure kneeling on the ground with his hands cradling his injured face, and headed out the open front door in search of Ayame.

He stood by a tree, one hand hanging onto the trunk as the other sat on his chest. A slight breeze spun through long silver locks as an upturned pale, beautiful face gazed out into the forever night sky. A hand brushed across a porcelain face, removing teardrops off of his cheeks and causing Ayame to almost leap out of his skin in surprise. He swung around to face the source of the touch. "Hatori.."

Cold olive eyes stared back at him.

"Hatori.. I'm so sor"

Lips pressed against his own cut his apology off short, and he found himself deep within the embrace of the dragon. He didn't know if he should react in panic (the calm before the storm, or the kiss of death!) or just enjoy the feeling and confusion of Hatori's kiss.

Perhaps it wasn't meant to be, and perhaps the prize had been won through deception and deceit. But no matter what got them this far, neither of them could give a damn. Because in the end, through all of the crap and lies and sorrow…they'd get their happy ending.

The end

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Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is property of Natsuki Takaya…tell her that I will gladly enjoy her profits.

End Notes: You'll have to forgive me. I'm absolutely in love with the cold, evil Shigure that we see in the manga. That's why I decided to make him our bad guy! Yes, I still love Gure-chan…but my love for the spoilers that I live off of tells me that if I want him to be true to character, I'll make him as true as he can be- and paint him out to be the cool, collective, hilarious, deceiving, evil jackass that he really can be.

Hope you enjoyed!


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